You may be able to identify poison ivy ("leaflets 3, let it be" -- simple, right?), but that doesn't mean you should let it grow unchecked in your yard, thinking, "Oh, as long as I know where it is, I'll just avoid it". I recommend safe poison ivy removal to everyone, no matter how good an eye you may feel you possess for the itchy weed.

After all, even poison ivy experts can accidentally brush up against the stuff, in a moment when they've let their guard down. And we all know about the rash that can occur after contact with this green menace. But how does one practice safe poison ivy removal? Well, to find out, click the link below....

Read article: Poison Ivy Removal

"Security": it's often a relative term, isn't it, whether we're talking about security gates or, for example, economic security? In a worse case scenario, what we thought was secure might, in fact, not be so secure at all.

In suggesting questions that homeowners might ask when planning the installation of security gates, Paul Corsetti drives this point home. Posing the question, theoretically, of whether a security gate could hold back a car, Paul goes on to comment, somewhat facetiously:

"That would have to be a very heavy security gate, and if you are thinking along those lines, you should have armed guards at your entrance!"

In this interview with Paul, we discuss such issues as options for gate openers and lighting. Click the link below to access the interview and learn more about security gates.

Read article:Security Gates

Lehr "Eco" (not "Echo!") string trimmers are innovative, eco-friendly weedeaters that substitute a 16.4-oz. propane canister for gas as a fuel source. These weedeaters afford the same power and portability as do gas weedeaters, while offering an eco-friendly alternative at a comparable price. In fact, they're powerful enough for me to recommend them to pros -- and to homeowners who have challenging trimming needs. But if you're drawn to these eco-friendly string trimmers, you'll want to consult my review before buying: I discuss the solution of a problem that may save you some time -- and aggravation!

Read review: Lehr String Trimmers

What landscaping tasks should you be performing in July? Well, that depends on where you live. That's the beauty of regional gardening calendars. Consult these July gardening tips to see what you can be doing to ensure that your yard continues to look its best, whether you live in northerly or southerly climes.

_{Photo ©2006 David Beaulieu (licensed to About.com)}

What should you plant near house foundations? Well, you certainly shouldn't restrict yourself to the traditional evergreen shrubs, such as yews. Use plants that flower and create colorful foundation gardens. A twist on this idea is offered by the Today's Garden Ideas Web site: "You may prefer a monochromatic color palette and with a white house choose white azaleas, white roses, & a background of dark green evergreens to compliment the flower color." Read the full article on flowering foundation gardens for more ideas.

Related resources:

• Foundation Plantings
• Foundation Planting Pictures

"Stone kitchens can be used in any climate, even the harsh extremes of northern climates -– something other types of outdoor kitchens cannot withstand," stated Joe Raboine in an interview I conducted with him on stone kitchens. As a New Englander, that statement caught my attention: "outdoor" and "kitchen" aren't words I'm used to juxtaposing!

Think of the different components you can have furnished in stone to help compose your stone kitchen:

• Bars
• Islands
• Storage facilities
• Built-in appliances
• Fireplaces or fire pits

"In fact, whole kitchens can be created out of stone to offer life-long existence, " says Raboine. Click the link below to access the interview and learn more about stone kitchens.

Read article: Outdoor Stone Kitchens

"Pincushion flower" is a rather whimsical common name for Scabiosa columbaria. "First glance will tell you how this plant got the common name of Pincushion Flower," remarks Marie Iannotti. "As the flowers open, they look like little cushions with pins sticking out."

If ever a plant needed a nice common name, it's Scabiosa -- a name that doesn't exactly evoke pleasing images. But there's nothing displeasing about pincushion flower's blue or pink blossoms. Provide it with enough sun, and pincushion flower should flourish with little effort on your part. If you don't mind a little extra work and you want it to re-bloom, just deadhead pincushion flower.

Many of you have probably steered clear of planting American elm trees in your yards, due to their susceptibility to Dutch elm disease. But did you know that alternatives do exist? Steve Nix, About's Forestry Guide, gives you a couple of alternatives to ponder in this article, including Chinese elm trees.

If you have your heart set on recapturing a piece of early 20th-century America, when American elm trees lined city streets, Chinese elm trees may not cut it for you. But thanks to the plant cloning work of tree geneticist Alden Townsend, the prognosis for American elms is now good. In the late 1990s approximately twenty-five years of plant cloning work on American elms came to fruition when the announcement was made: Townsend had finished cloning two new strains of American elms.

These plant clones are resistant to Dutch elm disease. Named Ulmus americana "Valley Forge" and Ulmus americana "New Harmony," Townsend's plant clones are now on the market. And the plant cloning work of tree geneticists continues, in hopes of developing new American elms that will be even more resistant to Dutch elm disease, thereby providing an alternative to Chinese elm trees.

Related resource: American Elm Trees

Mimosas (also called, "silk trees") can be real pests in the landscape. A frustrated reader recently asked About's Forestry Guide, Steve Nix a question on getting rid of mimosas. Steve, in turn, posted the question in his forum, where a very detailed method for getting rid of mimosas was provided. It's worth having a look at, even if your problem is not getting rid of mimosas, specifically, but some other invasive plant.

While I sympathize with the reader's plight, I can't help but think that mimosas at least have one major redeeming quality: namely, that the mature trees are quite attractive. It's far worse to have to lock horns against a stubborn invasive plant that has little to recommend it, such as Japanese knotweed (see photo). This tall perennial weed leaves behind ugly dead canes that litter the landscape every autumn!

_{Photo ©2005 David Beaulieu (licensed to About, Inc.)}

You feel fine, but you're not sure if you're really healthy. What do you do? You go in for a physical, of course. It's the same with tree health, only a house call will be necessary, since trees can't go in to the doctor. And guess who gets to play doctor?

Don't worry: checking on tree health is a heck of a lot more fun than going in to the doctor for a physical. Vanessa Richins tells us all the signs we need to look for to gauge tree health in this article. And you can concentrate fully on getting to the root of any problem, since bedside manner counts for little with tree patients.

Along the way, About's Guide to Trees and Shrubs also offers some maintenance tips to promote tree health, such as the desirability of pruning a tree so as to have only one central leader. "This will add strength and to stability to the tree structure," notes Vanessa.

Related resource: How to Prune Trees